PAL, Trip.com forge alliance to ease flight booking for global travelers
(PAL photo)
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is expanding the distribution capabilities of its air tickets to customers from other countries through a partnership with global travel service provider Trip.com, as part of its push to ease the flight booking process.
PAL will utilize the new distribution capability (NDC) of Trip.com to enable customers from Asia, Australia, and the United States to purchase tickets from the carrier seamlessly.
Travelers abroad would access the same fares and reservation services available on the PAL website through Trip.com’s content aggregator arm, Travelfusion.
Through this platform, customers can choose from a wider selection of fares and personalized ancillary products such as seat selection and prepaid baggage options.
This also provides access to post-booking services such as itinerary changes and refunds, further enhancing their booking convenience when purchasing PAL tickets.
“The partnership between Philippine Airlines and Trip.com will provide our customers a personalized, and seamless flight booking and buying experience through NDC integration with Travelfusion,” said Justin Warby, vice president of sales and distribution at PAL.
“Through partnerships, PAL will be able to expand its distribution capabilities, and offer a passenger-centric booking experience for agencies and travelers across the globe,” he added.
For Trip.com, its smart segmentation tools would help cultivate PAL’s engagement with international students traveling between Asia, North America and Oceania.
Aside from students, the company said these personalized offers and bundling opportunities of ancillary products would be tailored for first-time travellers and diaspora communities.
“Using NDC technology, PAL can offer demand-based localised fare bundles across markets, enhancing the customer experience,” it said.
Trip.com Group regional airline director Kirk Wong said the company is the first travel service provider to enter an NDC integration partnership with PAL in the Asia-Pacific region.
“This partnership will enable our users to enjoy better fare options and booking experiences, leveraging our extensive network and experience to expand PAL’s reach to customers in the region and beyond,” said Wong.
“We look forward to deepening our partnership with PAL to deliver seamless travel experiences to meet the evolving needs of today’s travellers,” he added.
PAL earlier launched a new booking platform powered by NDC, allowing passengers to book more of their preferred options, such as flight schedules, seat selections, in-flight meals, and other ancillary services.
Through NDC, PAL said its passengers will benefit from greater personalization, transparency, and efficiency in their travel experience.
The Lucio Tan-led airline operates flights to 31 domestic destinations and 38 destinations in Asia, North America, Australia, and the Middle East.